The Marauder's Map
by hannahdaspannah
Summary: This is my first fanfic so please be gentle!  This is my take on Fred and George finding the Marauder's Map and getting it to work for them.


**The Marauder's Map**

_Ever wondered how the Weasley twins Fred and George got the Marauder's Map to work for them once they had pinched it from Filch's office? This is my take on how they got it working._

And so it happened that after yet another prank, (just a simple Dungbomb let off in the corridor but it was still good as it angered Filch who none of the students liked and it was right outside Snape's classroom too) Fred and George Weasley found themselves once again (they'd lost count just how many times they'd been here and it was only their first year!) sat in the caretaker Filch's office grinning at each other while they watched Filch find the correct paperwork to document their latest misdemeanour threatening them with his usual empty threats.

Suddenly as he had his back to them Fred noticed a drawer in Filch's filing cabinet marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous and grinning even wider nudged George and pointed it out to him. Silently they communicated to each other what to do in their unique twin way and George released another Dungbomb. Filch in his fury was too busy berating George for his second misdemeanour in only a matter of minutes and didn't notice Fred sneaking a very old looking piece of parchment out of the slightly ajar filing cabinet drawer.

Grinning, Fred carefully closed the filing cabinet drawer and gave the thumbs up signal to George who was letting Filch rant at him trying not to smile too much. He attempted and failed to look sorry. Eventually Filch had finished ranting at the twins; he found the appropriate paperwork, gave them detention (George got a double helping) and let them go scowling at them.

They both dashed back to Gryffindor Tower and went straight up to their dormitory. Their fellow Gryffindor first years knew by now to leave them alone when they went up there as they would usually be plotting their next prank. Not today though, today George glanced round the room to check they were alone then said

"So what did you get then Fred? What fantastically brilliant 'dangerous' item did you find in that drawer?"

Fred grinned and pulled out of his pocket the old piece of parchment he had grabbed from the drawer. His smile faltered slightly as he looked at what he had taken.

"Uh I'm not entirely sure what this is but it must do something um right?" he said looking at George "not even Filch would confiscate a simple blank sheet of parchment surely!"

Not looking very sure the two of them looked at each other and George said

"Let's try writing something on it and see what happens shall we?" thinking privately to himself that he didn't really think anything would happen and Fred had just caused him to waste a perfectly good Dungbomb for nothing.

"Good idea!" Fred said and grabbing a quill and some ink he wrote:

_Fred and George Weasley pranksters extraordinaire wish to know what is so special and dangerous about a bit of old parchment!_

To their astonishment writing appeared in green ink below their writing saying:

**Pranksters extraordinaire they say. Hey Prongs they're trying to take away our title!**

**Well, well well, we can't have that now can we Padfoot, everyone knows that we are the best pranksters by far!**

**Oh dear, oh dear what do we do Moony?**

**Calm down Padfoot and Prongs and Wormtail stop panicking please! Moony to the rescue again it seems. Prove you are indeed pranksters extraordinaire as you proclaim to be!**

**Ah good one Moony! Knew we could rely on you!**

"What the?" Fred and George both said at the same time looking at the parchment in confusion. "What do you think?" George said looking at Fred "Do we trust it or could it be a trap?" "Let's test it and see shall we?" Fred said reaching for the quill again he dipped it into their ink bottle and wrote:

_How do we know we can trust you and you're not going to trick us? We by the way thrive on trouble, it's our middle name!_

**Hmmm very clever! This wants thinking about****, you are certainly very sly. What do you think we should do Padfoot and Prongs?**

**He****y what about me? Don't I get a say?**

**Oops sorry Wormtail, what do you think we should do?**

**I think we should tell them about some of our best pranks and then perhaps they can tell us about some of theirs**

**WHAT! The is the dumbest thing I think you've ever said Wormtail, the Marauders never give away their secrets!**

**Calm down Padfoot it's OK Moony won't agree with that**

**No that would be really stupid**

**Yes not one of your best ideas Wormtail, anybody got any other suggestions?**

**Well it was only a suggestion**

_Who are the Marauders? We've never heard of you before_

Fred wrote before George could stop him though he had to admit he was just as intrigued as Fred was

**Ah well I suppose it can't hurt for us to reveal that part to you**

**We are Mssrs Moony, Wormtail Padfoot and Prongs and together we are the Marauders**

**We as the Marauders are quite possibly the best pranksters to ever walk the hallowed halls of Hogwarts**

**OK, OK that's quite enough Padfoot and Prongs. My name is Moony and as you may have gathered we prank people**

**Yeah especially those slimy Slytherins!**

**That's enough Padfoot**

**Oh right, yeah. Sorry Moony!**

"Wow!" said Fred "Are you thinking what I'm thinking George?" "Of course I am Fred, just think of all the cool pranks we could learn from these Marauder people"

Fred dipped their quill in the ink again and wrote:

_OK how's this for a deal? If we tell you some of our best pranks, you tell us some of yours. Is that a deal?_

**Hmmm what do you think Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail? Do we tell them some of our pranks in return for some of theirs?**

**Well I'm guessing since we've never heard of Fred and George that we are no longer at Hogwarts**

**What are you getting at Prongs?**

**Well perhaps if these two decide to use some of our pranks it could be a way of ensuring the Marauders reign continues at Hogwarts**

**Good thinking Prongs I like it! Hey is Minnie still there?**

_Who's Minnie?_

**Minerva McGo****nagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, which I sincerely hope if you are to become new Marauders, you are in that house by the way!**

_Yeah Professor McGonagall is still there and yes we are both very definitely Gryffindors. All our family have been in that house_

**Right then, you tell us some of your best pranks and we will tell you some of ours!**

"Well this wants thinking about!" George said. "Which pranks do we tell them about?" "Well I've got one to start things off" said Fred and he wrote:

_Once__ we followed a couple of Slytherins from the Great Hall back to their house and set off a whole load of Dungbombs outside, we couldn't get in ourselves without being seen but managed to convince Peeves to do that for us!_

**Child's play! Though quite amusing. What else have you done?**

_Well we are only first years and are doing our best!_ Fred retorted

"Ooh I've got one!" George said "Pass me the quill please Fred" George wrote:

_A couple of weeks ago we managed to slip __some Zonkos sweets into the Slytherin water jugs so that their hair all turned red and gold - Gryffindor colours which naturally made them really angry. I caused a diversion whilst Fred slipped the sweets into the jugs and we managed not to get caught!_

**OK that's pretty impressive to have done that without help from the House Elves**

**Shhh Wormtail!**

**But it is**** I'm only saying what I think!**

**You're giving too much away!**

**OK our turn I suppose**

**We lay in wait by a water fountain near the Slytherin house once and made the water squirt them every time they came to have a drink**

**Ooh and another time we went into the kitchens and set up a charm that meant that none of the Slytherins could eat their food properly, it went all over them every time they tried!**

_Wow! Wish we could do cool stuff like that!_

**Well maybe you can, your pranks are pretty good and with a little help they could be even better!**

**I think it's time guys**

**Yup I think you're right Prongs**

**OK Moony you do the honours**

**All right, d****o you two solemnly swear that you're up to no good?**

_Yes we do!__ Definitely!_

**OK say ****that you solemnly swear you are up to no good and tap the parchment as you do so**

Fred and George looked at each other and Fred said "Well what harm could it do to try"

**One last thing, make sure you ****don't forget to tap the parchment when you're finished and say Mischief Managed, otherwise anyone can read what you are about to see. Happy Maraudering!**

Smiling Fred and George both said together "We solemnly swear we are up to no good" and George tapped the parchment with his wand as they spoke.

"Wow!" they both said looking awestruck as a map suddenly appeared in front of their very eyes "We're going to have a lot of fun with this" Fred said gleefully. "Indeed we are Fred, indeed we are" said George.


End file.
